Thank You Hardline! icePad Teams Ready for Masters GSOC

by McEwen Curling on November 9, 2015 in Blog
On behalf of all the teams competing with the icePad brush this week in the National Grand Slam in Oshawa (there are 10 teams – 5 men & 5 women!), we just want to say a big thank you to Hardline for all you have done and continue to do to help outfit us with premium curling equipment.

During the last few weeks you have endured some intense scrutiny all while operating within the rules of our sport. A common term used in description of the controversy has been “directional fabric”, a phrase that was quite misleading. What the elite curling world is concerned about is just how effective fabrics should be – where is the ceiling? How do we establish and test for that?

The WCF’s recent statement this past Friday specifically for the Pacific Asia Curling Championships is a start point to control/regulate the type of materials that are in play. There are a few manufacturers that have sweeping brush fabrics out there that will be restricted during this event. By no means have any of the manufacturers’ curling brush designs been forbidden – only certain types of fabrics on their pads can not be used for identified high level curling events.

The icePad by Hardline already conforms to the WCF’s statement as it has a unique feature where the user can install the current Pro Cover inside out to show “the weave” in the material. Additionally, we have witnessed Hardline’s commitment to its curlers such that they have been working diligently to manufacture new icePad covers with other accepted fabrics.

Our teams and many others are excited to continue to compete with the icePad. In our opinion, no matter what material(s) are cleared for play we are confident in the icePad’s exceptional design. We can’t wait to hit the ice again and get back to good competition, camaraderie… and get back to curling!

– Team McEwen & Team Carruthers

Statement – #brushgate
by McEwen Curling on October 22, 2015 in News
In the spring of 2014 Hardline Curling approached our team. They were looking for ambassadors to showcase and win with their flagship product, the icePad. They strongly believed in our team to be an integral part of that plan. We took a leap of faith as we had nothing to lose except an opportunity to explore another avenue of tapping into our potential as a team. Part of the rejuvenation of our team at that time included training to be the best version of ourselves, both physically and mentally. The desire to use the top equipment available to enhance our performance also aligned with our goals.

It has been a full season since our debut as a Hardline team and there is no doubt in our minds that the icePad is the best brush ever produced. It has many beneficial attributes and even owes the odd design feature here or there to the athletes who use it. Working with a company that enjoys feedback from its users is both a pleasure and a privilege.

Team McEwen supports Hardline’s view that the design of the broom and the fabric operate within the standards of what is considered to be the integrity of the game. We believe that the fabric does not unduly damage the ice surface, nor does it perform in a manner that creates unfair advantages over other comparable technologies. We firmly believe that the icePad performs in line with the standards set by other leading broom technology, only better.

In recent weeks, we have been both disheartened and disillusioned with the actions by some directed at Hardline Curling and its teams. However, we do understand the concerns of many of our best teams and support the purity of athletic endeavour. Curling is on the brink of professionalism and equipment regulation for the top echelons of the sport has been a long time coming. How good is too good? That is the debate that is raging on as we speak. Creating clear and transparent testing and limitations need to be high priorities.

So, where do we go from here?

Team McEwen supports:
– The athletes’ voice to spur the governing bodies into action
– Hardline Curling and the integrity of their company and the teams that use their products
– Due process (proper timelines and steps)

Our team also respects both our competitors on the ice and the environment of good sportsmanship. Accordingly, for our next event, the Masters Grand Slam of Curling, we will be using a material on our icePads that will be a comparable fabric to other competitors’ sweeping utensils. A big thanks to Hardline Curling for going above and beyond to give us this option. We will continue to monitor the situation week by week until this issue is resolved, and in the meantime we will compete as we always have: with the spirit of our great game in mind.